Sessions Gets Right With the Truth On Immigration

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"Get right with the law" is the trendy new poll-tested slogan that's supposed to make both amnesty-resistant Americans and illegal aliens accept whatever so-called immigration reform Congress considers. Alas, playing with words will not sell amnesty to Americans or non-amnesty to illegals.

House Republicans went into a "retreat" in a Maryland hideaway to consider a statement of "principles" put before them by the House leadership. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., immediately said they are "the same recycled talking points, crafted with the help of the same consultants and special interests," and that the proposed legislation "ensures only the amnesty and not the enforcement."

Continuing, Sessions said the Republican so-called principles "would surge the already unprecedented level of legal lesser-skilled immigration to the U.S. that is reducing wages and increasing unemployment." While the Republican goal should be "to transition millions of struggling Americans from welfare and joblessness to work and rising wages," President Barack Obama's plan is to force "legislation that drastically surges the future flow of new immigrant workers competing against unemployed Americans."

Sessions conveniently summarized the facts about where we are and where we should be going in a 30-page statement. He refutes 10 widely circulated myths that are currently used to deceive the public on this issue.

Myth: Those who broke our immigration laws will not get any special path to citizenship. Sessions' reply: The plan is to give a green card to ineligible aliens and that, indeed, is "a special path to citizenship."

Myth: The plan is not amnesty because illegals will have to pay fines and back taxes, learn English, and pass background checks. In fact, all those requirements are a farce: It's impossible to calculate back taxes, the aliens, of course, will never learn English before they get amnesty, and any background checks will be as worthless as the background checks of the Boston bombers.

Myth: The immigration reform debate in Congress will be full and open. Are you kidding? From the Senate Gang of Eight's bill to proposals that emerged from the House Republican "retreat" in Maryland, all immigration plans have been assembled in secrecy.

Myth: The majority of Americans support immigration reform. All polls refute that statement. Pew Research Center and CBS report that 62 percent of Americans want the border secured (period!) before any immigration "reform" is even considered.

Myth: We need a guest-worker program to fill our labor shortages and take jobs Americans won't do. Sessions reports that there are more than enough unemployed Americans to fill all labor shortages, and Americans in fact do work all the jobs that some claim Americans won't do. Economist Thomas Sowell wrote, "Virtually every kind of 'work that Americans will not do' is in fact work that Americans have done for generations. In many cases, most of the people doing that work today are Americans."

Myth: Those granted legalization must be able to support themselves and will not get welfare. What a lie! That has been the law for generations, but the Obama administration pays no attention to it. For example, the Boston bomber family actually was given $100,000 in welfare benefits.

Myth: Immigration reform will help the economy. In fact, amnesty will mean a larger number of people unemployed and on welfare.

Myth: Border security will come first and no legalization can happen unless triggers have been implemented. Almost nobody believes that myth. Scott Rasmussen reported that only 5 percent believe the government would ever close the border after immigration "reform" is passed.

Myth: Passing "immigration reform" and fixing the border will end illegal immigration. Hardly anybody believes that will or can happen so long as Obama fails to close the border and use E-Verify, refuses to use the biometric exit system to track visa entrants who don't depart when their legal time expires, and prevents our immigration agents from arresting and removing those who enter illegally or overstay their visas.

Myth: Congress will force Obama to fully enforce the immigration reform bill if it passes it. That's a sick joke coming after Obama's braggadocio that he will use his pen to scratch out any provisions he dislikes in any law.

Commissioner Peter Kirsanow of the United States Commission on Civil Rights said, "The immigration bill is a disaster for the unemployed." As Sessions points out, all plans will "hollow out our shrinking middle class" and "rank-and-file House Republicans are the last line of defense for working Americans."

Phyllis Schlafly is a lawyer, conservative political analyst and author of 20 books. She is the co-author, with George Neumayr, of the New York Times Best-Seller titled "No Higher Power: Obama's War on Religious Freedom." You can read more of her writings at eagleforum.org.